Process for producing a french fried potato product

ABSTRACT

An elongate potato product simulating a French fry and provided with a plurality of serrated, longitudinal ridges alternating with longitudinal valleys, is formed by extrusion of a potato mix through a suitable die. The serrations of the ridges provide a multiplicity of individual projections more or less resembling spicules, which are completely exposed to hot fat during initial frying of the product prior to freezing and to applied heat during reconstitution of the frozen product. This results in French fries of superior quality. The spicules are a result of proper consistency of the mix and configuration of the extrusion die.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is related to an application for design patentfiled in the United States Patent Office on Mar. 26, 1971 by these sameapplicants, which application has issued as U.S. Patent No. D-229,250.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field

The invention is in the field of commercial production of French friesfor packaging and sale, usually as a wholly or partially pre-cookedproduct marketed in deep-frozen condition.

2. State of the Art

French fries of the general type concerned are well known as acommercial product. Efforts of producers have been directed towardachieving a visually appealing and palatable product for offering toretail consumers in supermarkets and the like and for use by restaurantsand institutional consumers in providing tasty potato servings. It hasbeen recognized that the manner in which the French fries are browned infrying plays an important part in both appearance and palatability, and,in an effort to achieve satisfaction from these standpoints, an extrudedFrench fry has heretofore been produced having alternate ridges andvalleys extending longitudinally of the product. The valleys afford freeflow of the frying fat along the lengths of the French fries duringfrying, but do not provide maximum crispness and other desirablecharacteristics in the fried product. Heretofore, any natural crackingof the ridges transversely of their lengths has been regarded asundesirable and has been avoided as much as possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, the ridges of an extrudedFrench fry are purposely broken so as to form respective series ofprojections. To accomplish this, the consistency of a mashed potatoextrusion dough is controlled by limiting its moisture content,preferably by utilizing both mashed blanched potatoes and dehydratedpotatoes along with an emulsifier, and by extruding the dough in hotcondition through a special die. The extrusion opening of the die hasthe general formation of a Maltese cross. The product has superiorbrowning and crisping characteristics compared to corresponding productsof the prior art.

THE DRAWING

The best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention isshown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a typical French fry inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 2, a view in side elevation;

FIG. 3, a view in transverse section taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4, a view in front elevation of an extrusion die used for theproduction of the French fry of FIGS. 1-3; and

FIG. 5, a view in horizontal section taken on the line 5--5 of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

The illustrated French fry is produced by extrusion of a suitable potatodough through the die of FIGS. 4 and 5.

The dough is prepared by mixing mashed blanched potatoes with anemulsifier and by limiting its moisture content to an extent sufficientfor adhesion and product formation purposes (usually 60 percent or aboveby weight), but substantially no greater than 75 percent. This reducedmoisture content is preferably attained by including in the mixsufficient dehydrated potatoes to bring about the desired reduction ofthe normal moisture content of the blanched potatoes, although it mayalso be attained by partially dehydrating blanched potato slices priorto mashing them in the preparation of the desired dough.

In the preferred procedure, sliced raw potatoes are blanched, bysteaming or the like, and are mashed by passing the blanched slicesthrough a potato ricer, e.g. one having perforations 3/16 of an inch indiameter. The resulting riced potatoes are then mixed with dehydratedpotatoes in relative proportions that depend upon the initial moisturecontent of the riced potatoes. In general, from 70 to 95% by weight ofthe riced potatoes are mixed with from 5 to 30% of the dehydratedpotatoes. An amount of emulsifier within the range of from about 0.2 to2.0% by weight of the total mix is used. It should be noted that thedehydrated potatoes often contain about 0.9% emulsifier in and ofthemselves and that this should be considered in arriving at the amountof emulsifier to be added, if any, in a given instance. Other additives,such as flavoring and color control ingredients, may also be used inrelatively small amounts, depending upon desired taste and appearance.

The dehydrated potatoes are preferably prepared by granulating the usualcommercial potato flakes. Thus, such flakes may be passed throughequipment of the type of the well-known Urschel "Comitrol" equipped witha forty one thousandth of an inch head, so as to produce granulatedpotato flakes of mixed sieve sizes, the greater part of which will beretained on an 80 mesh screen.

A very satisfactory potato dough for extrusion in accordance with thepresent invention has the following formulation:

    ______________________________________                                        Ingredients          Percent by Weight                                        ______________________________________                                        Riced blanched potatoes                                                                            87.7                                                     Granulated potato flakes                                                                           10.8                                                     (containing 0.9% emulsifier)                                                  Emulsifier added     0.3                                                      Coloring and flavoring ingredients                                                                 1.2                                                      ______________________________________                                    

The emulsifier can be any of those commonly employed by the industry,e.g. glycerol monostearate, xanthan gum, etc., or a combination of twoor more.

Utilizing an extrudable potato dough whose moisture content is limitedas indicated above and including an emulsifier, a unique French fryproduct is obtained when the dough is extruded at well above normal roomtemperature through a die whose cavity has the general form of a Maltesecross. Such a die is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, with its product-formingcavity designated 10, the inlet being of funnel formation 10a leadinginto the forming cavity 10b. As shown and in accordance with recognizedMaltese cross formation, the arms 10c of the cross are divergentoutwardly and their outer ends have acute angle corners.

The dough should be extruded hot, rather than in the usual chilledcondition. A temperature range of from about 100° F. to 175° F. iswithin present contemplation, but a range of from 120° F. to 160° F. ismore usual. A temperature of 150° F. is presently considered the optimumfor the specific formulation given above.

During the extrusion process, the dough is shaped into an elongatepotato product simulating a French fry, see FIGS. 1-3, the extrusionhaving a plurality of serrated ridges 11 alternating with longitudinalvalleys 12, both extending longitudinally of the product. The serrationsof such ridges provide a multiplicity of individual projections 13 moreor less resembling spicules, which are wholly surrounded by cooking fatin the deep frying process and enhance the crispness, flavor, and colorof the final product whether such product is obtained by frying in deepfat immediately following extrusion or whether obtained sometimethereafter by oven reconstitution of initially partially friedextrusions that are subjected to freezing for sale as a commercial fooditem.

Whereas this invention is here illustrated and described with particularreference to an embodiment representing the best mode presentlycontemplated of carrying it out in practice, it is to be understood thatsuch embodiment merely exemplifies the invention and that its scope isdefined by the claims that follow.

We claim:
 1. A process for producing an elongate potato productsimulating a French fry but having superior crispness, comprisingpreparing an extrudable potato dough containing mashed blanched potatoesand an emulsifier and having a moisture content within the range ofabout 60% to about 75% by weight; extruding said dough in hot conditionwithin a temperature range of about 100° F. to about 175° F. through adie having a cavity in approximately the form of a Maltese cross whereinthe arms of the cross diverge in their extension outwardly and theirouter ends have acute angle corners, so as to produce an elongateextrusion having a plurality of longitudinal ridges alternating withlongitudinal valleys, said ridges breaking transversely of their lengthsat frequent intervals during extrusion to provide serrations therealongas a multiplicity of individual projections; and frying the extrusion.2. A process in accordance with claim 1, wherein the emulsifierconstitutes by weight from about 0.20 to about 2.0% of the potato dough.3. A process in accordance with claim 2, wherein flavoring and coloringadditives are also present in the potato dough to the extent ofapproximately 1.2% by weight.
 4. A process in accordance with claim 1,wherein the moisture content of the potato dough is affected byincluding dehydrated potatoes in addition to the mashed blanchedpotatoes in the dough so as to reduce the moisture content of thelatter.
 5. A process in accordance with claim 4, wherein the potatocontent of the dough is prepared by mixing mashed blanched potatoes andgranulated dehydrated potatoes, the amount of the former beingapproximately within the range of from 70 to 95% by weight of the mixand the amount of the latter being approximately within the range offrom 30 to 5% by weight of the mix.
 6. A process in accordance withclaim 1, wherein the fried extrusions are subsequently frozen.